Fluid-pressure pump



Feb. 5, 1929. 1,701,449/

Filed Jan. 26, 1928 INVENTOR Fpaz' 16M/10B! ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 5, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,701,449 PATENT OFFICE.

ronnnsmn. GILMORE, or' TULSA, oxLAHoMA. i

FLUID-PRESSURE PUMP.

Application led January 26, 1928. Serial No. 249,638.

rIhis invention relates to a fluid pressure pump adapted for use in oil wells.

An obj ect of the invention is the provision of a fluid pressure pump having a pair of balanced valves forming inlet and discharge valves for a fluid under pressure which is adapted to force the liquid from the well through a separate discharge pipe, means being actuated by the rise and fall of liquid for causing alternate actuation of the inlet and discharge valves.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a fluid pressure pump in which a tube supports a plurality of valves, with pairs of the valves being connected by a single stem for simultaneous operation, with one pair forming an inlet valve for fluid under pressure, and another pair controlling the discharge of the fluid under pressure from the tube, a connected float and weight being actuated by the rise and fall of the liquid in the tube for controlling the opening of one pair of the valves and for causing simultaneous closing of the other pair of valves and vice versa.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, in view of the accompanying drawings forming a part of the specification; nevertheless it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the disclosure, being susceptible of such changes and modi fications which shall define no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure l` is a vertical section of the fluid pressure pump constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary verticl section showing the valve mechanism, an

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

p In the production of crude petroleum the wells usually startproducing by a natural flow due to highy gas pressure and volume in the producingy sand. lWhen the gas pressure and the volumey decrease suliiciently some lartificial means rmust beemployed to assist yin the lifting of the oil. In this event air or gas is introduced into the well which decreases the specific gravity so that the natural gas pressure ofthe well is suliicient to cause the column of mixed oil and gas to be elevated without the necessity of employing a pump. However, the natural gas pressure decreases and it is necessary to employ some additional means other than the air lift method. The compressor equipment which has been previously utilized for impregnating the oil with a determined quantity of air to decrease the specific gravity of the oil may be employed for the operation of a pneumatic pump. However, where it is necessary to place the plunger pump, and which is frequently the custom, near the bottom of the well, the use of a pneumatic pump would be of little use.

In deep wells commonly drilled with rotary tools, the holes are usually so crooked that the rods frictionally engage the tubing and Wear holes through the tubing, thereby weakening the rods to such extent that the tremendous strain of pumping against a head of several thousand feet of oil causes such rods to break. Furthermore, it is extremely difficult to pump large -quantities of oil with a plunger type pump under these conditions.

In carrying out my invention I employ fluid pressure which is directed against the head of the oil in a tube 10 mounted in a section 11 of a string of tubing. The tubing 10 and casing 11 are sunk below the surface of the earth until they reach the usual sand pockets 12. The tube 10 is closed, as shown at 13, at its inner end, and is provided with a central passage 14 through which is inserted a discharge tube 15.l The upper end of the tube 10 is closed, as. shown at 16, while the section 11 extends beyond the closed end of the tube 10.

The discharge tube 15 is yprovided with openings 17 which place the discharge pipe in communication with the tube 10. A foot valve, generally designated by the numeral. 18, is located in the pipe 15 below the bottom 13 of the tube 10. Asecond foot valve 19 is located in the pipe 15 and abovethe closed bottom 13 of the tube so that oil may pass the foot valve 18 and be discharged through the passages 17 of the pipe l15.y where it entersthe tube 10. The valve 19 will permit the 'liquid forced through the t'ube 10 to .be elevated in the pipe 15 but will preventthelliquidfrom returning to the tube. In" like manner the valve 18 will prevent the liquid frompipe 15 and tube 10 from passingback into'the well.

An elongated float 20 is slidably mounted on the pipe 15 and is received within the space between the said pipe and the tube 10. A

' end of the casing weight 21 is slidably mounted in the tube 10 and is ring-shaped and is of such a thickness that it may freely pass the float 20 as will be presently explained. Cables f or chains 22 connectthe ring-shaped weight 21 with the float 20 and these cables are trained Over pulleys 23 secured to the inner face of the tube 10 adjacent the upper end thereof.

An inlet valve casing 24 is connected with a short length of pipe` 25 which extends through the partition or top 16 of the tube 10 x and is adapted t0 place the tube in communication with the valve casing. is connected to the top of thevalve casing 24 and also with a source of compressed air or gas (not shown). rlhe valve casing 24 has a partition 27 which cuts o6' communication between the pipe 26 and the casing 24. A by-pass 28, however, is em' ,loyed for connecting the valve casing 24 a ove the partition 27 with the interior of a valve cage 29 and at a pointbetween a pair of valves 30 and 31. llt will be noted that these valves are similarly formed and are moved to outer or closed position to engage their respective seats 32 and 33. A stem. 34 connects the` valves 30 and 31 for simultaneous operation.

rlhe discharfre valve is provided with a casing 40 which 1s placed in open communica tion with the tube 10 by means of'a pipe 41. The upper end of the casing, as shown at 42, is open to the atmosphere or to the upper 11. A valve cage 43 is mount within the casing 40 and is provided with a pair of seats 44 and 45 adapted to be engaged, respectively, by valves 46 and 47. A stem 48 connects the pair of valves for simultaneous operation. A by-pass 49 has a port 50 opening intothe upper end 42 of the casing 40 and a port 51 opening into the valve cage etween the valves 46 and 47.

A lever 60 is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends, at 61, on the discharge pipe 15. One end of the lever is shown at 62 and suitably connected with the valve stem 42. The otherend of the lever is shown'at 64 and is pivotally connected with the valve stem 34. The lever at this point has an extension 65 for a purpose which will be presently explained. The stem 48 has an extension 66 located within the path of the upper end of the float 2O whereby said stem will be engaged by the float and moved to actuate the lever 60.

When the wells are of exceptionaldepth, or when it is necessar' to impregnate the oil with a gas o r air toy ecrease the specific gravity of said oil, a connection() may be provided for placing the conduit 26 in communication with thepipe 15 so that as the oil passes the connection 80 air or gas will be forced through the same and will act as an air lift as is well known. f

The operation of my device is as follows: The float 20 is being elevated, as shown y1n Fig. 1, by the rise of the liquid in the tube 10 A conduit 26`V which has been normally forced upwardly throughthe pipe 15 and into the tube 10 by the gas pressure in the well. When the float is raised sui'iiciently it will engage the extension 66 of the stem 43, forcing the stem upwardly and moving the valves 46 and 47 on their respective seats and thus closing the tube 1() to the atmosphere or to the upper end of the casing 11. When the astern is moved upwell and is,'theref0re, elevated inthe pipe 15 Y and discharged out of the upper end where it is collected and placed in storage.

When the level of the oil in the tube 10 is forced downwardly the weight of the float 20 is sufficient to cause .the same to descend and elevate the wei ht or member 21.' At the uppermost limit o movement of said ring it 'engages the extension 65 of the lever 60, forcing the same upwardly and causing the stem 34 to close the valves 30 and 31. rlhe Opposite action of the valves 46 and 47 takes place` This is due to the fact that elevation of the extension 65 of the lever 60 causes a lowering of the opposite end, thereby moving the stem downwardly causing the valves 46' and 47 to be moved away from their seats. However, when the pressure of the fluid from the conduit 26 is relieved in the tube 10, the natural pressure of the gas from the oil well At this will cause the `oil a ain to rise in the tube l()1 these valves .will be' balanced and only7 a' slight pressure is needed to remove them from their seats. Thus the weight of the float 20v will be sufficient to cause the ring 21 to be elevated and release the valves 30 and 31 from their seats. The by`pass 49 places the valve cage 43 in communication with the atmosphere at a point between the valves 46 and 47 so that atmospheric pressure is balanced on both valves and in opposite directions, so that when the valves 30' and 31 are closed, the

valves 46 and 47 may be readily opened and vice versa.

I claim:

1. A fluid pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe for liquid dlsposed centrally within the tube and in open communication at the lower. end With the tube, means for sealing the tube intermediate the ends thereof, a balancedvalve structure pro- 4 5 viding a discharge for fluid from the tube past the sealing means, a conduit for supplying a fluid under pressure to the tube, a balanced inlet valve structure for controlling the flow of fluid into the tube, a float in the tube elevated by the rise of liquid in the tube, a weight connected to the float, said Weight being `elevated' by the fall of the float` for causing closing of the inlet Mvalve, said float when elevated being adapted/to cause opening of the inlet valve, the fluid pressure acting on the liquid in the tube for forcingthe liquid through the discharge pipe, andv means adapted to be actuated by the fluid for causing operation of the discharge valve.

2. A fluid pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe for liquid disposed centrally within the tube and in open communication at the lower end of the tube, means yfor sealing the tube intermediate the ends thereof, a balanced valve structure providing a discharge for fluid from the tube past the sealing means, a conduit for su plying a Huid under pressure, to the tu e, a balanced inlet valve structure for controlling the flow of fluid into the tube, afloat in the tube elevated by the rise of liquid in the tube, a Weight connected to the float, said weight beingkelevated by the fall of th fioat yfor causing closing of the inlet valve, said float when elevated being adapted to cause opening of the inlet valve, the fluid pressure acting on the liy uid in the tube for forcing the liquid throug the discharge pipe, and means connecting the valves for simultaneous operation so that when the inlet valve is closed by the Weight the 'discharge valve will be opened, and when the discharge valve'is closed the inlet valve will be opened.`

3. A.' fluid pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe for liquid disposed centrally Within the tube and in open communi# cation at the lower end with the tube, means for sealing ,the tube intemnediatethe endsI thereof, a balanced valve structure providing a discharge for fluid from the tube past the l sealing means, a conduit for su vplying a fluid under pressure to the tube, a alanced inlet valve structure for controlling the flow of liquid into the tube, a fioat in the tube elevated by the rise of li uid in the tube, a weight connected to the oat, said weight .being elevated by the fall of the float for causing closing of the inlet valve, said float when elevated belng adapted 'to cause opening of the inlet valve, the fluid pressure actingon the liquid 1n the tube for forcing the liquid through the f discharge pipe, and means connecting the inlet and discharge valves together for simultaneous but opposite actuation.

4. A fluid `pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe for liquid disposed ce-ntrally within the tube and in open communication at the lower end with the tube, means for sealin the tube intermediate the ends thereof, a. alanced valve structure including apair of valves and a stem connecting the valves for simultaneous actuation and providin a discharge for fluid from the tube past te sealing means, a conduit for supplying a fluid under pressure," to the tube, a balanced inletvalvestructure including a pair of valves and a stem connecting the valves for simultaneous actuation for'control'ling the flow of fluid into the tube, a float in the tube elevated by the rise of liquid in the tube, a Weight connected tothe fioat, sai-d Weight being elevated by the fall of the float for causing closing of the inlet valve, said fioat when elevated being adaptedlto cause opening of the inlet valve, the fluid pressure acting on the liquid in the tube for forcing the liquid through the discharge pipeu 5. A fluid pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe for liquid disposed centrally Within the tube and in open comv munication at the lower end with the tube, means for sealing the tube intermediate the ends thereof, a balanced valve structure including a pair of valves and a stem connecting the valves for simultaneous actuation and providing a discharge for fluid from the tube past the sealing means, a conduit for supplying a fiuid under pressure to the tube, a balanced inlet valve structure including a pair of Valves and a stem connecting the valves for simultaneous actuation yfor controlling the flow of fluid into the tube, means actuated by the rise and fall of the liquid in the tube for causing closing of one pair of valves and opening of the other pair of valves, the fluide pressure acting on the liquid inthe tube for forcing the liquid through the dischargepipe.

` 6. AQ fluid pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe for, liquid disposed centrally within the tube and in open communication at the lower end with the tube, means for sealin the tube intermediate the ends thereof, a alanced valve structure including a pair of valves and a stem connect-ing the valves for simultaneous actuation and roviding a discharge for iuid from the tu e past the. sealing meansa conduit for supplying a fluid under pressure to the tube, a balanced inlet valve structure including a pair of valves and a stem connecting the valves for simultaneous actuation for controlling the fiow of fluid into the tube, means actuated by the rise" and fall of theliquid in thel tube for causing closin of vone pair of valves and opening of the ot er air of valves,the fluid pressure acting on tlie liquid in the tube for forcing the f liquid throu h the discharge pi e, a b'y-pass connecting t e fiuid supply con uit with the inlet valve structure and opening between the pair of valves. 13

' Huid under pressure to the tube, a balanced 7. A Huid pressure pump comprising a tube, a discharge pipe tor liquid disposed centrally Within the tube and in open communication at the lower end with the tube, means for sealing the tube intermediate the ends thereof, a balanced Valve structure including' a pair of valves and a stein connectingI the Valves for simultaneous actuation and providing a discharge :tor fluid from the 'tube past the sealing means, a conduit tor supplying a inlet valve structure including a pair et Valves and a stein connecting1 the Valves for simultaneous actuation tor controlling1 the flow ot `fluid into the tube9 means actuated by the rise Home@ and tall of the liquid in the tube tor causing closing ot one pair of Valves and opening of the other pair ot Valves9 the fluid pressure acting on the liquid in the tube for forcing the liquid through the discharge pipe, a hypass connecting the Huid supply conduit with. the inlet Valve structure and opening between the pair of valves, and a ley-pass connect-ing the Valves with the atmosphere at a point between said valves.

Signed at Tulsa, in the county ot 'llulsa and State of klalwma, this 23rd day ot January A., D. nineteen hundred twenty-eight.

FRREST E GILMORE. 

